Hindus if they want unity
among different races must have the courage to trust the minorities. Any
other adjustment must leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Surely the millions
do not want to become legislators and municipal councilors. And if we have
understood the proper use of Satyagraha, we should know that it can be and
should be used against an unjust administrator whether he be a Hindu,
Musalman or of any other race or denomination, whereas a just administrator
or representative is always and equally good whether he be a Hindu or a
Musalman. We want to do away with the communal spirit. The majority must
therefore make the beginning and thus inspire the minorities with confidence
in their bona fides. Adjustment is possible only when the more powerful take
the initiative without waiting for response from the weaker.
So far as employment in
the Government departments is concerned, I think it will be fatal to good
government, if we introduce there the communal spirit. For administration to
be efficient, it must always be in the hands of the fittest. There should be
certainly no favoritism. But if we want five engineers we must not take one
from each community but we must take the fittest five even if they were all
Musalman or all Parsis. The lowest posts must, if need be, be filled by
examination by an impartial board consisting of men belonging to different
communities. But distribution of posts should never be according to the
proportion of the numbers of each community. The educationally backward
communities will have right to receive favoured treatment in the matter of
education at the hands of the national Government. This can be secured in an
effective manner. But those who aspire to occupy responsible posts in the
Government of the country can only do so if they pass the required test.

Young India, 29-5-24

Independent India cannot
afford to have communal representation and yet it must placate all
communities, if the rule of independence is not based on coercion of
minorities.

Young India, 19-1-30

Hindustan belong to all
those who are born and bred here and who have no other country to look to.
Therefore, it belongs to Parsis, Beni Israels, to Indian Christians, Muslims
and other non-Hindus as much as to Hindus. Free India will be no Hindu raj,
it will be India raj based not on the majority of any religious sect or
community but on the representatives of the whole people without distinction
of religion. I can conceive of a mixed majority putting the Hindus in a
minority. They would be elected for their record of service and merits.
Religion is a personal matter which should have no place in politics. It is
the unnatural condition of foreign domination that we have unnatural
divisions according to religion. Foreign domination going, we shall laugh at
our folly in having clung to false ideals and slogans.

Harijan, 9-8-42

I swear by my religion. I
will die for it. But it is my personal affair. The State has noting to do
with it. The State would look after your secular welfare, health,
communications, foreign relations, currency and so on, but not your or my
religion. That is everybody’s personal concern.

Harijan, 22-9-46

Anglo-Indians and Foreigners

All foreigners will be
welcome to stay here, only if they look upon themselves as one with the
people. India cannot tolerate foreigners who wish to remain here with
safeguards for their rights. This would mean that they want to live here as
superior persons and such a positive must lead to friction.

Harijan, 29-9-46

If this is true of the
European, how much more true must it be for those Anglo-Indians and others
who have adopted European manners and customs in order to be classed as
Europeans demanding preferential treatment? All such people will find
themselves ill at ease if they expect continuation of the favoured treatment
hitherto enjoyed by them. They should rather feel thankful that they will be
disburdened of referential treatment to which they had no right by any known
canon of reasoning and which was derogatory to their dignity.

Harijan, 7-4-46

His political right is in
no danger. It is his social status which is non-existent. He frets over his
Indian parentage and he is disowned by the European race. He is therefore
between Scylla and Charybdis. I often meet him .He is washed out in the
process of living above his means and trying to live the European life and
look like European life and look like Europe and. I have pleaded with him to
make his choice and to throw in his lot with vast multitude. If these men
and women will have the courage and the foresight to appreciate this very
simple and natural position, they will serve themselves. They will serve
India and they will be spared the galling position in which they find
themselves. The greatest problem before the dumb Anglo-Indian is that of
determining his social status. He is saved, the moment the recognizes
himself as an Indian and lives like one.